Related papers: The non-gravitational interactions of dark matter …
Merging galaxy clusters have been touted as one of the best probes for constraining self-interacting dark matter, but few simulations exist to back up this claim. We simulate equal mass mergers of 10$^{15}$ M$_\odot$ halos, like the El…
(Abridged) We compare recent results from X-ray, strong lensing, weak lensing, and optical observations with numerical simulations of the merging galaxy cluster 1E0657-56. X-ray observations reveal a bullet-like subcluster with a prominent…
If dark matter interacts, even weakly, via non-gravitational forces, simulations predict that it will be preferentially scattered towards the trailing edge of the halo during collisions between galaxy clusters. This will temporarily create…
We analyze strongly lensed images in 8 galaxy clusters to measure their dark matter density profiles in the radial region between 10 kpc and 150 kpc, and use this to constrain the self-interaction cross section of dark matter (DM)…
Self-interacting dark matter has been proposed as a solution to small scale problems in cosmological structure formation, and hints of dark matter self scattering have been observed in mergers of galaxy clusters. One of the simplest models…
While dark matter self-interactions may solve several problems with structure formation, so far only the effects of two-body scatterings of dark matter particles have been considered. We show that, if a subdominant component of dark matter…
Models of Cold Dark Matter predict that the distribution of dark matter in galaxy clusters should be cuspy, centrally concentrated. Constant density cores would be strong evidence for beyond-CDM physics, such as Self-Interacting Dark Matter…
We perform a general computational analysis of possible post-collision mass distributions in high-speed galaxy cluster collisions in the presence of weakly self-interacting dark matter. Using this analysis, we show that weakly…
The detailed distribution of mass within clusters of galaxies can be used to probe the nature of dark matter. We show that constraints on the extent of the mass distribution around galaxies in the rich cluster Abell 2218 obtained from…
We compare new maps of the hot gas, dark matter, and galaxies for 1E0657-56, a cluster with a rare, high-velocity merger occurring nearly in the plane of the sky. The X-ray observations reveal a bullet-like gas subcluster just exiting the…
If dark matter has a non-zero self-interaction cross-section, then dark matter halos of individual galaxies in cluster cores should experience a drag force from the ambient dark matter of the cluster, which will not affect the stellar…
We constrain the physical nature of dark matter using the newly identified massive merging galaxy cluster MACSJ0025.4-1222. As was previously shown by the example of the Bullet Cluster (1E0657-56), such systems are ideal laboratories for…
Self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) is an able alternative to collisionless dark matter. If dark matter does have self-interactions, we would expect this to cause a separation between the collisionless stars and the dark matter halo of a…
Direct evidence for the existence of dark matter and measurements of its interaction cross-section have been provided by the physical offset between dark matter and intra- cluster gas in merging systems like the Bullet Cluster. Although a…
In an influential recent paper, Harvey et al (2015) derive an upper limit to the self-interaction cross section of dark matter ($\sigma_{\rm DM} < 0.47$ cm$^2$/g at 95\% confidence) by averaging the dark matter-galaxy offsets in a sample of…
Terrestrial particle accelerators collide charged particles, then watch the trajectory of outgoing debris - but they cannot manipulate dark matter. Fortunately, dark matter is the main component of galaxy clusters, which are continuously…
If dark matter has a large self-interaction scattering cross section, then interactions among dark-matter particles will drive galaxy and cluster halos to become spherical in their centers. Work in the past has used this effect to rule out…
While collisionless cold dark matter models have been largely successful in explaining a wide range of observational data, some tensions still exist, and it remains possible that dark matter possesses a non-negligible level of self…
We perform numerical simulations of the merging galaxy cluster 1E 0657-56 (the Bullet Cluster), including the effects of elastic dark matter scattering. In a similar manner to the stripping of gas by ram pressure, dark matter…
Dark matter remains a mystery in fundamental physics. The only evidence for dark matter's existence is from gravitational interactions. We constructed a precision torsion balance experiment to search for non-gravitational, long-range…